ILOILO City – Three governors in Western Visayas expressed support to the resolution of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) urging President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president in the May 2022 elections. They were Iloilo’s Arthur Defensor Jr., Capiz’s Esteban Contreras and Aklan’s Florencio Miraflores.
The three signed a collective statement stating that the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response was “succeeding” and they wanted that the next president would be under the guidance of Duterte.
They also cited the battle against illegal drugs.
Twenty-four provincial governors have signed the PDP-Laban resolution.
“We want the President to seek the vice presidency so he could help his successor oversee the implementation of COVID-19 pandemic response programs his administration is carrying out to keep Filipinos from dying of the highly contagious new coronavirus and the illness it is causing,” part of the collective statement read.
The governors also wanted Duterte to continue the implementation of infrastructure projects throughout the country.
“We are witness to new roads, bridges, school buildings, airports, seaports, and similar infrastructures the administration has been constructing and which have generated jobs and income for our people, and economic growth for the country. The nation under President Duterte was on the way to a high growth path until the pandemic struck,” the statement read.
Aside from this, they also cited Duterte’s implementation of the Mandanas ruling; they said this could give “more infrastructure and services to the poor in urban and rural communities, pursue the fight against criminality, particularly drug-trafficking and other drug-connected crimes, as well as corruption, among others”.
Over the weekend, Duterte announced he would be willing to run as vice president.
For his part, Defensor explained that he supported Duterte as he was a member of the PDP-Laban.
“Kay miembro sang partido we have to go with the decision of the party and the direction of the party. So, tanan naton nga desisyon base ‘na sa desisyon sang partido because you cannot take exception if you are a member of a party,” said Defensor./PN
